A common theme in the numerous comments we’ve received to-date on the film Bully, centers on one of the film’s most moving characters, Alex Libby, a sweet-natured Iowa teen who had been bullied for years. Since many viewers were worried about him and were understandably empathetic, we thought it might be good to give you an update on Alex.
First of all, to cut to the chase in the happiest of ways: this year Alex worked as an intern for the Bully Project itself, in their offices in New York City!
Last year, Alex was featured on CNN, and as you can see from this clip he’s evolving into a confident young man passionately hoping to help others who are being bullied:
Alex was also featured, along with Kelby Johnson, in a piece Anderson Cooper did on the film and bullying, called “The Bully Effect.” Here’s much more on Alex and the Libby family, in this Cartoon Network piece connected to the Cooper special: “The Bully Effect: Stop Bullying” (which also includes insight from the filmmaker behind Bully, Lee Hirsch):
As his mother says in the clip above, the family eventually left their Iowa town for Oklahoma City, where they found a school they felt had a better environment for both their kids. Here’s an encouraging follow-up on Sioux City after the film came out:
Angered and emboldened by the film, more parents and classmates have come forward to say other students have been bullied and school leaders didn’t stop it.
New grassroots parent groups have sprung up, intensifying a conversation now joined by much of Iowa and the nation. School leaders say they’ve learned from the experience and will stay focused on an issue that receives little attention in some districts.
Said Bully director Lee Hirsch, “Sioux City is a district of courage.”
And you’ll be happy to hear that Alex now says he has lots of friends.